Recording: Shoe Horn Ensemble

Artist: Shoe Horn Ensemble

Song: [first section]

Recorded at the Bata Shoe Museum (Track Could Bend @ X Avant XVIII – Neeeerrrrddddssss: shoe horn), October 12, 2023.

Shoe Horn Ensemble - [first section]

I'm still not entirely sure what I did to deserve such an honour, but somehow I ended up curating a night of this year's X Avant Festival. And not just any ol' night as we were invited to conspire a musical takeover of the Bata Shoe Museum. Thanks to the amazing powers and positive energy of Artistic Director Sanjeet Takhar, we were able to fill the building with creativity, bringing a grouping of nine musicians to first enfold some sounds in the museum's galleries, then gather them all together for a collaborative improvisation. Best of all, though it was on a grander scale than I'd usually allow myself to imagine, it really felt like it was all done in the spirit of Track Could Bend. And were there shoes? Oh yes, there were shoes.

After spreading the musicians out in the galleries, the conclusion gave everyone a chance to find ways to work together in a large ensemble. The featured performers here were electronic musicians Laura Dickens (a.k.a. Leucrocuta) & Hex-A-Deximal, who were processing incoming sounds from the mics and from Tegan Dietsch's tap board. Around that centre, horn players and percussionists had a chance to wander some more — one of the most delightful moments was when trumpeter Lina Allemano and trombonist Tom Richards headed up the stairs and out of sight, only to pop out of the elevator behind the audience a few minutes later! With everyone putting, ah, their best foot forward this was a satitisfying way to gather all the threads shoelaces together.

For the record, the full ensemble was:

• Tegan Dietsch (tap)
• Lina Allemano (trumpet)
• Tom Richards (trombone)
• Why Be Normal [%%30%30 & James Bailey] (found percussion)
• Annie Elgie (voice)
• Yang Chen (percussion/processing)
• LD & Hex-A-Deximal (electronics)

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[The Bata's new exhibition Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980's is now open. Track Could Bend will be back in its regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month incarnation at Wenona Lodge on December 5th, with sets from kat estacio and Alma.]

Recording: Annie Elgie & co.

Artist: Annie Elgie & co.

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Bata Shoe Museum (Track Could Bend @ X Avant XVIII – Neeeerrrrddddssss: shoe horn), October 12, 2023.

Annie Elgie & co. - [excerpt]

I'm still not entirely sure what I did to deserve such an honour, but somehow I ended up curating a night of this year's X Avant Festival. And not just any ol' night as we were invited to conspire a musical takeover of the Bata Shoe Museum. Thanks to the amazing powers and positive energy of Artistic Director Sanjeet Takhar, we were able to fill the building with creativity, bringing a grouping of nine musicians to first enfold some sounds in the museum's galleries, then gather them all together for a collaborative improvisation. Best of all, though it was on a grander scale than I'd usually allow myself to imagine, it really felt like it was all done in the spirit of Track Could Bend. And were there shoes? Oh yes, there were shoes.

When I saw the "In Bloom" exhibit on the first site visit to the museum I made a mental note that it would be a perfect spot for vocalist Annie Elgie. And indeed, in between a couple benches at the far end of the room she settled right in between flowers and footwear to conjure up some spirits. This section, from the end of the event's first half up in the galleries, was one of my favourite parts of the whole night — you can hear horn players Lina Allemano and Tom Richards circling around like the sampled seagulls that are calling out.

You can check out another segment of this performance, with tap dancer Tegan Dietsch joining in (and much more!) over on youtube:

[The Bata's new exhibition Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980's is now open. Track Could Bend will be back in its regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month incarnation at Wenona Lodge on December 5th, with sets from kat estacio and Alma.]

Recording: Yang Chen & co.

Artist: Yang Chen & co.

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Bata Shoe Museum (Track Could Bend @ X Avant XVIII – Neeeerrrrddddssss: shoe horn), October 12, 2023.

Yang Chen & co. - [excerpt]

I'm still not entirely sure what I did to deserve such an honour, but somehow I ended up curating a night of this year's X Avant Festival. And not just any ol' night as we were invited to conspire a musical takeover of the Bata Shoe Museum. Thanks to the amazing powers and positive energy of Artistic Director Sanjeet Takhar, we were able to fill the building with creativity, bringing a grouping of nine musicians to first enfold some sounds in the museum's galleries, then gather them all together for a collaborative improvisation. Best of all, though it was on a grander scale than I'd usually allow myself to imagine, it really felt like it was all done in the spirit of Track Could Bend. And were there shoes? Oh yes, there were shoes.

I've seen percussionist Yang Chen in a variety of settings and I knew they could provide some musical secret sauce in an adventure like this. Setting up shop in the upper part of the permanent collection (dedicated to giving a "Glimpse into Artefact Storage") they were at a crossroads for audience members and other wandering performers, generating a variety of close-mic'ed textures and subtle feedback (feet-back?) hums — plus, you can hear some sonic bleed from Why Be Normal on the lower level and some passing horns here.

You can check out some other zones from this set's conclusion over on youtube:

[The Bata's new exhibition Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980's is now open. Track Could Bend will be back in its regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month incarnation at Wenona Lodge on December 5th, with sets from kat estacio and Alma.]

Recording: Why Be Normal

Artist: Why Be Normal

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Bata Shoe Museum (Track Could Bend @ X Avant XVIII – Neeeerrrrddddssss: shoe horn), October 12, 2023.

Why Be Normal - [excerpt]

I'm still not entirely sure what I did to deserve such an honour, but somehow I ended up curating a night of this year's X Avant Festival. And not just any ol' night as we were invited to conspire a musical takeover of the Bata Shoe Museum. Thanks to the amazing powers and positive energy of Artistic Director Sanjeet Takhar, we were able to fill the building with creativity, bringing a grouping of nine musicians to first enfold some sounds in the museum's galleries, then gather them all together for a collaborative improvisation. Best of all, though it was on a grander scale than I'd usually allow myself to imagine, it really felt like it was all done in the spirit of Track Could Bend. And were there shoes? Oh yes, there were shoes.

This pairing of found percussionists Colin C. (who performs as %%30%30) and James Bailey (who also brought his trombone along on this occasion) came together at TCB some months back and their joyful junk spectacle called out for a bigger canvas. Taking over one end of the lower level of the museum's permanent collection, this was indeed a widescreen adventure, with all sorts of bricabrac spread around.

You can check out the pair interacting with tap dancer Tegan Dietsch (and more!) over on youtube:

[The Bata's new exhibition Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980's is now open. Track Could Bend will be back in its regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month incarnation at Wenona Lodge on December 5th, with sets from kat estacio and Alma.]

Recording: Lina Allemano & Tom Richards

Artist: Lina Allemano & Tom Richards

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Bata Shoe Museum (Track Could Bend @ X Avant XVIII – Neeeerrrrddddssss: shoe horn), October 12, 2023.

Lina Allemano & Tom Richards - [excerpt]

I'm still not entirely sure what I did to deserve such an honour, but somehow I ended up curating a night of this year's X Avant Festival. And not just any ol' night as we were invited to conspire a musical takeover of the Bata Shoe Museum. Thanks to the amazing powers and positive energy of Artistic Director Sanjeet Takhar, we were able to fill the building with creativity, bringing a grouping of nine musicians to first enfold some sounds in the museum's galleries, then gather them all together for a collaborative improvisation. Best of all, though it was on a grander scale than I'd usually allow myself to imagine, it really felt like it was all done in the spirit of Track Could Bend. And were there shoes? Oh yes, there were shoes.

The phrase "shoe horns" was one of the first things on the idea board when brainstorming for this show began, and I had this vivid mental image of a horn player using a shoe as a mute. No surprise then that the first person I thought of in that scenario was trumpeter Lina Allemano, who tends to bring a variety of ad hoc resonators to use as mutes. Trombonist Tom Richards is equally imaginative in expanding the possibilities of his instrument, and the pair had a tremendous time riffing off each other in the "Obsessed" exhibit — plus, of course, using their mobility to find chances to interact with the other performers.

You can check them out in their "home" gallery and visiting some others over on youtube:

[The Bata's new exhibition Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980's is now open. Track Could Bend will be back in its regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month incarnation at Wenona Lodge on December 5th, with sets from kat estacio and Alma.]